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Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE April 2017 ISSN 1302-6488 Volume: 18 Number: 2 Article 10
STUDENT TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES OF TEACHING PRACTICE AT OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING INSTITUTION
IN SOUTH AFRICA
Dr. Sello MOKOENA
Department of Educational Leadership and Management University of South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
ABSTRACT
This small-scale study focused on the experiences of student teachers towards teaching
practice in an open and distance learning (ODL) institution in South Africa. The sample consisted of 65 fourth year students enrolled for Bachelor of Education, specializing in
secondary school teaching. The mixed-method research design consisting of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used. Questionnaire and individual interview discussions
were used as instruments for data collection. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze
quantitative data. Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study revealed that student teachers experienced challenges with regard to on-time placement
in schools, supervision and mentoring. Based on the findings, recommendations were made. Among others was that mentors and university contracted supervisors should be
constantly empowered through workshops to work effectively in leading and guiding
student teachers. On the issues of placement of students in approved schools, the university should consider implementing a system which will enable students to place
themselves online. Placing students in approved schools is a major challenge for the ODL institution in South Africa given the great number of students that have to be placed in
schools every year and the slow pace at which the institution is moving to integrate technology in addressing the problem.
Keywords: Teaching practice, open and distance learning, student teachers, experiences, South Africa.
INTRODUCTION
Higher education institutions offering teacher education programs in South Africa are required in terms of education policies to ensure that their students are placed in schools
where they can interact with the realities of the classroom teaching and the broader school environment (Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and
Development in South Africa, 2011 – 2015; Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education
Qualifications, 2011; Department of Basic Education and Training, 2011; Department of Higher Education and Training, 2011). This activity where student teachers are placed in
schools in order to gain teaching experience is referred to as teaching practice (Department of Basic Education and Training, 2011; Department of Higher Education and
Training, 2011). A number of concepts such as “practice teaching”, “field studies”, “infield experiences”, “school-based experience” and “internship” are used in describing this
activity (Taneja, 2000:35). However, the open and distance learning (ODL) institution
under study prefers to use the term “teaching practice” over others since it embraces all the learning experiences of student teachers in schools.
Teaching practice has three major connotations, namely the practice of teaching skills
and acquisition of the role of a teacher, the whole range of experiences that a student
teacher goes through in schools and the practical aspects of the course as distinct from
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theoretical studies (Nwanekezi, Okoli & Mezieobi, 2011). Therefore, teaching practice
offers student teachers the opportunity to learn and develop as professional teachers
along the dimensions of pedagogic knowledge, subject matter knowledge, pastoral knowledge, ecological knowledge, inquiry knowledge and personal knowledge (Mtetwa &
Dyanda, 2003). Tillema, Smith and Leshem (2010) are of the view that during the teaching, student teachers experience a learning situation that is unique and different
from campus-based learning as they are called upon to respond to new circumstances. In
the same vein, Komba and Kira (2013) note that during teaching practice, student teachers observe subject teachers at work so as to learn about teachers’ skills, strategies
and classroom achievements. It is also the time when they evaluate their own teaching experiences through interactions with teachers and lecturers and, through self-reflection,
implement a variety of approaches, strategies and skills with a view to bringing about meaningful learning (Komba & Kira, 2013). Thus, the underlying aim of teaching practice
is to introduce students to, and prepare them for, the teaching profession (Ntsaluba &
Chireshe, 2013). As a result, a student teacher may not graduate in South African Higher Education Institutions without having undergone the experience of teaching practice.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Teaching Practice as Part of Teacher Training Programs at ODL Institution in South Africa The two most popular teacher training programs offered in South African Higher
Education Institutions are the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) (a teaching qualification obtained after a first degree) and the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree
(an integrated four-year course in initial teacher education). However, the BEd degree program at the ODL institution under study consists of three phases, namely the
Foundation Phase, the Intermediate and Senior Phase, and the Senior and Further
Education and Training Phase. This kind of structure encompasses all phases of schooling in South Africa. The South African school education system incorporates four phases of
schooling, namely the Foundation Phase, which includes the Reception year and Grades 1, 2 and 3; the Intermediate Phase, which includes Grades 4, 5 and 6; the Senior Phase,
which is made up of Grades 7, 8 and 9, and the Further Education and Training Phase,
which covers Grades 10, 11 and 12. Students may either enroll for the four-year BEd program, specializing in a particular phase, or combine two of the phases. For example,
those who prefer teaching younger children would enroll for a BEd Foundation Phase (Grades R – 3), while those who prefer teaching older and much older children would
enroll for a BEd Intermediate and Senior Phase (Grades 4 – 9) or a BEd Senior and Further
Education and Training Phase (Grades 10 – 12) respectively. Teaching practice as a focus of this study is a component of the formal academic programs such as the Bachelor of
Education (B.Ed) and the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) for preparing student teachers.
Reddy, Menkveld and Bitzer (2008) established that teaching practice for a Bachelor of
Education (B.Ed) and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is organized in
different ways in South African Institutions Higher Learning, ranging from weekly visits to schools for teaching practice and to block periods of school visits in others. At the ODL
institution under study, it is organized in block periods (six weeks). This situation of variations in the number of days or weeks that student teachers spend in the schools
including the manner of teaching practice supervision is similar to a variety of teaching
practice models in Tasmania most of which include sequenced school placements supervised by cooperating teachers and university staff (Ntsaluba & Chireshe, 2013).
The research was undertaken following a concern raised by the review panel for the
Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC, 2008) which conducted a programs audit at the University of South Africa (UNISA), Open and Distance Learning Institution (ODL). A
point of criticism in the report of the review panel relates to a compromised quality
assurance in teaching practice component in both the BEd and PGCE programs. The report pointed out the following areas that needed to be improved: selection of schools,
placement of student teachers, training of mentors and mentoring during the teaching
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practice period, and assessment of student teachers’ competence and feedback to the
university (HEQC, 2008). It is on the basis of the HEQC report that this study was
conducted solely to capture the views of the student teachers towards teaching practice at UNISA. Most studies focus on the importance of teaching practice and its supervision,
and they exclude other concerns of student teachers, even though they are essential elements in their programs. Marais and Meier (2004) emphasize that the type of concerns
student teachers encounter should be given more attention to enable proper organization
and coordination of the teaching practice. The HEQC’s criticisms referred to above, enabled formulation of the following main research question which guided this study was:
What are the experiences in the teaching practice of distance learning students at UNISA?
Previous Research Studies on Teaching Practice in ODL Institutions
Internationally, teaching practice in Distance Education (DE) is an issue that has been
researched for some time. Several studies on teacher training through Distance Education (DE) reveal that the organization of practice teaching for student teachers presents both
logistical and educational challenges (du Plessis, 2013, Aldridge, Fraser & Ntuli, 2009). Problems facing practical teaching via DE include: the placing of students at approved
schools, mentoring and supervising them during school visits, building relationships with
all stakeholders, assessment, and feedback (du Plessis, 2013). Mubika and Bukaliya (2013) state that some problems in the training of teachers through ODL arise
specifically from the nature of distance education among which are the factors to do with its scale, distribution of students, technology integration, tutors and schools,
range of stakeholders and partners responsible for different tasks.
These authors further note that the assessment of students’ competences during teaching
practice remains problematic and contentious (Mubika & Bukaliya, 2013). Additionally, debates about the assessment of the practice of student teachers often reflect on-going
philosophical debates about the nature of teacher education and traditional barriers between teachers and academics (Mubika & Bukaliya, 2013). Despite this, practice
teaching remains a pillar of teacher education as it provides opportunities for evaluating
in-service teachers in authentic environments (Mubika & Bukaliya, 2013) In-service teachers enrolled in distance programs are usually in their place of work
when they attend the teacher training programs. However, finding the means to assess their teaching practice eludes most institutions. Educational difficulties arise
from the old problem of integrating theory and practice. Educational difficulties also
arise from the fact that the task of supervising coupled with other duties makes it almost impossible for the teacher educator to witness as an in-classroom observer the
wide range of instructional strategies that form the basis of an inquiry learning environment (Mubika & Bukaliya, 2013).
Due to numerous challenges encountered by DE, some institutions had abandoned
supervision of teaching practice because of organizational difficulties. However, various
alternative strategies have been put in place in attempts to mitigate the supervision needs of the teacher training program. For example, in Nepal peer-teaching sessions
would be arranged to introduce a practical element to teacher education (Holmes, Karmacharya & Mayo, 1993). In Brazil where one of the teacher training programs had
no capacity to supervise teaching practice, microteaching was incorporated into face-to-
face sessions with teachers (Oliveira & Orivel, 2003). The Open University in United Kingdom, does not supervise teaching practice but has tried to link theory and
practice by inviting teachers to report on their classroom experiences of ideas and practical activities covered in the course (Perraton, 1993).
Partnerships with various stakeholders in the teacher education program serve to
maintain a clear understanding of the value of their program with people who may well
be their future employers. In many countries where there are several providers of
teacher education there can be competition for the use of schools. Under such
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pressure the school/institutional links are especially vulnerable to the effects of
misunderstanding. The supervision that occurs during field experience also reflects
theoretical and practical conditions. During supervision both the mentor (also known
as the cooperating teacher) and the lecturer, need to cooperate and find solution to
the problems that may be affecting the teaching practice for teacher students. In
some cases, it is also often the case that it is difficult for a teacher education institution
to find sufficient schools in which to place their students (Mubika & Bukaliya, 2013).
On the issue of mentoring, Halloway (2001) states that the mentor generally takes on
the role of mentoring and supporting student teacher from a sense of commitment
to their profession rather than of commitment to any institution or for the
remuneration. Such arrangements usually require the school or the mentor teacher to
work exclusively with the contracted institution and thus close that link for other
institutions and their students. Mentors need special preparation for their role so that
the experience they provide links with the program goals. Therefore training of mentors
is also a critical aspect before the mentors can be assigned to particular student
teachers (Halloway, 2001)
RESEARCH METHOD
The study focused on the experiences of student teachers towards teaching practice in an
open and distance learning (ODL) institution in South Africa. The research was conducted
at UNISA, and more specifically in the Department of Teaching Practice, one of the
biggest departments in the College of Education in the university. UNISA was selected for
the following reasons: firstly it has a large student population compared with other
universities in South Africa, and secondly it was easier for the researcher and author of
this article to conduct this study as he is a lecturer in the College of Education at UNISA.
This study used a mixed-method design which is the combination of qualitative and
quantitative methods. Morgan (2014) contends that mixed-method helps answer
questions that cannot be answered by qualitative or quantitative methods alone. The
mixed-method design was found to be appropriate for this study as it would potentially
yield a better understanding of the challenges faced by student teachers in an ODL
context. In line with Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2007), qualitative data from individual
in-depth interviews was used to complement quantitative data and for the purposes of
triangulation.
Participants of the Study
The research study targeted 150 undergraduate distance education students who were in
their fourth year of study enrolled for the module in teaching methods (subject didactics)
of life sciences for a BEd degree, specializing in secondary-school teaching. The Life Sciences module was selected because it is one of the priority learning areas for the
South African Department of Basic Education. The sampling ratio of 40% (n=60) was decided on, following the sampling guidelines as provided by Grinnel and Williams
(1990:127), who consider performing basic statistical procedures on a sample of 40% as being sufficient. The sample may be relatively small for a quantitative study; but the
sampling frame contained the complete target population. In addition, purposeful
sampling was used to select the qualitative sample. Purposeful sampling occurs when individuals are selected who possess the characteristics or attributes of interest to the
study (Creswell, 2013). Five (5) students as illustrated in Table 1 also in their fourth year of study were selected for qualitative interviews. These five (5) students did not complete
the questionnaires for quantitative data. The entire sample of 65 students had already
completed three cycles of teaching practice.
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Table 1. Description of the qualitative research sample Student Teachers (N=5)
Gender Female Male
3 2
Qualification &
Phase
BEd (Senior & FET Phase)
Pseudonyms of
participants
Student A; B; C; D and E 5
Data Collection Tools
A non-experimental descriptive survey research design involving quantitative data was used to collect data from members of the population in order to determine their views
toward teaching practice in an ODL context. A combination of questionnaire and semi-
structured interview guides for individual interviews were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data respectively. A questionnaire consisting of 8 items, adapted from Caires
and Almeida’s (2005) Inventory of Experiences and Perceptions at Teaching Practice (IEPTP) was used to collect data. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part
was designed to elicit socio-demographic data from the students teachers and contained closed questions (multiple-choice or yes/no questions). The second part of the
questionnaire, represented in Table 2 was designed to elicit information on the degree of
agreement with the item statement presented on the questionnaire following the purpose of the study. The items in this part of the questionnaire were also closed questions.
Individual interview discussions with fourth year student teachers were conducted in
order to obtain a better understanding of a problem or an assessment of a problem,
concern, new product, program or idea (MacMillan & Schumacher, 2006). The semi-structured interview guide was used to generate information on the challenges faced by
the student teachers in an ODL context. An expert in teacher education discipline checked on the relevance of the instruments’ items for both quantitative and qualitative.
Furthermore, to ensure quality of qualitative data, participant or member-checking was used to confirm with the participant that the data were what the research participant
meant.
Data Collection Procedure
The researcher distributed the questionnaires with the aid of lecturers and supervisors who supervised students during teaching practice. Other questionnaires were self-
administered by the researcher since he is involved in the supervision of student teachers
during teaching practice in schools. The questionnaires were collected on the spot. All distributed questionnaires were returned. Five (5) students who participated in the
interviews were purposefully selected from the group of students who did not complete the quantitative questionnaire. The rationale was to determine if the information
provided in the questionnaire would be confirmed or reputed or elaborated upon when a
different approach was used. Interviews were conducted after working hours and each interview lasted for thirty minutes. The researcher took notes during individual interviews
and to enhance accuracy mechanically recorded the discussions with the use of an audiotape recorder.
Data Analysis
The researcher made use of descriptive statistics to analyze data collected by way of
questionnaires. Qualitative data were analyzed with the content analysis method, one of the qualitative data analysis strategies (Cresswell, 2009). For content analysis, first, data
were coded by dividing the text into small units and unitized until themes and relationships were identified. Verbal codes reflecting or illustrating the main findings
from the interview discussions were presented.
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Ethical Considerations
The questionnaire contained a section explaining the purpose of the study, confidentiality
and the voluntary nature of the study. The participants gave informed consent verbally. However, confidentiality was guaranteed by making sure that the data could not be
linked to individual respondents by name since the participants were not requested to write their names on the questionnaires (Ntsaluba, 2012).
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
Findings from Quantitative Questionnaire Biographical information
Participants provided biographical information regarding age, gender and ethnicity, and the phase and the sector they would prefer to teach the following year. The majority of
the participants (70%) were aged below 30 years, thus being able to offer several future
years to the teaching profession. The gender balance was expectedly uneven with 80% being female participants and 20% being male participants. This situation confirms the
notion that most men do not wish to enter the teaching profession (Mokoena, 2012).
Table 2. Biographical information (N=60)
Student Teacher Gender Frequency %
Female 48 80
Male 12 20
Student Teacher Age Frequency %
30 and younger 42 70
31-39 12 20 40 and above 6 10
Responses from closed questionnaires items
Table 3. Responses of student teachers (N=60) Variables Yes No
Frequency % Frequency %
1 Were you placed on time at the school
not far away from where you live?
10 33 50 83
2 Were you placed in a well-resourced
school?
35 58 25 41
3 Were you supervised during your
teaching practice in schools?
15 25 45 75
4 Were you supervised by the University
lecturers?
20 33 40 66
5 Was the supervision arranged by the University?
60 0
6 Was the supervision beneficial towards your training as a teacher?
36 60 24 40
7 Were you assigned a mentor during
the practice teaching?
40 66 20 33
8 Was the mentoring beneficial towards
your training as a teacher?
25 41 35 58
Results in Table 3 show that 83% of the student teachers indicated that they were not
placed on time in approved schools in order to do their teaching practice. This is the biggest challenge Unisa is faced with, that is placing more than 20 000 students in a year
using manual system (phoning-in the schools). Therefore, there is a need for the university to re-visit the current student placement system. Again, 75% indicated that
they were not supervised while placed in schools for teaching practice. This problem
could be linked to a shortage of supervisors. At this stage the University is relying heavily
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on contracted supervisors and mentor teachers in schools to assist the student teachers
during teaching practice. This is an unsafe approach which might compromise quality
given the concerns raised by the review panel for the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) which conducted a programs audit at UNISA. For instance, student teachers who
were supervised, 58% indicated that there was no meaningful mentoring. The student teachers might have experienced the feelings expressed by Maphosa, Shumba and
Shumba (2007) that the mentors saw student teachers as relief teachers, who ended up
taking full loads while mentors took a back seat. This disheartened the student teachers because such behavior is contrary to the concept of mentorship wherein the mentor
operates normally in his or her classroom with the student teachers observing and learning and not given full charge of classes when they would still be learning the trade.
Maphosa, Shumba and Shumba (2007) also expressed another observation that, while
some mentors overloaded student teachers during practice teaching, others might not
have confidence in the student teachers and consequently they would not leave their classes in the student teachers’ care. Others would not let student teachers to teach at
any given time because they felt that student teachers would delay and waste learners valuable time and they would not be able to finish the syllabi on time. This might result in
the student teachers getting discouraged and experiencing feelings of inadequacy and
loss of confidence in their ability to teach. Such feelings of inadequacy could have negative influence on student teachers perception of the teaching profession.
Findings from Qualitative Interview Discussions
The study focused on the experiences of student teachers towards teaching practice in an open and distance learning (ODL) institution in South Africa. And the following research
question guided this study: What are the experiences in the teaching practice of distance learning students at UNISA? The raw data that was collected from face-to-face interviews were studied, analyzed and generated themes are presented in in Table 4 after which a
detailed explanation of the themes is given.
Table 4. Generated themes from qualitative data analysis
Research question Generated themes
What are the experiences in the
teaching practice of distance learning students at UNISA?
Theme 1: Placement
Theme 2: Supervision and assessment
procedures
Theme 3: Effectiveness of teaching practice in improving student teachers’
teaching skills
Theme 1: Placement The majority of the participants shared frustrations that they experience especially with
regard to their placement in approved schools. Some students blamed the teaching practice office/unit at UNISA which do not responded to their queries timely. As student
teacher A stated: Since there are many of us including students from other Universities we struggle to get space especially in good schools where we can be nurtured so that we become good teachers. Another problem relates to communication breakdown with the teaching practice unit at Unisa. Sometimes they don’t answer phones and it frustrates us especially if you are stuck and you can’t find a good school closer to where you stay to do practice teaching.
These views complement the results obtained from the questionnaire. This finding
confirms problems facing teaching practice in DE institution like Unisa which include a
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challenge of placing of student teachers in approved schools to undertake teaching
practice (du Plessis, 2013). It also became apparent during the interviews that some
schools are willing to accommodate student teachers, however, at some schools there is poor management, non-existent timetables, lack of staff and non-mentoring all these
impact negatively on the practice, leaving some students demotivated and disillusioned.
Theme 2: Supervision and assessment procedures
As indicated earlier in this article, teaching practice is an integral part of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and Post-Graduate Certificate at Unisa, a DE institution. In support of
this, module lecturers are expected to design workbooks, visit schools during teaching practice and are available to students to discuss problems. During the interviews it
emerged that some students, especially those who have registered a four a year degree qualification were visited twice others once over the three cycles of teaching practice. For
example, student teacher C had this to say:
Last year when I was doing my second teaching practice no one from the university visited me. And how do they expect us to be effective teachers on completion of our degree if they do not support us.
Sharing the same view, student teacher D remarked as follows:
The following week will be my last week doing teaching practice at this school. However, I have not been visited by any of my lecturers or supervisors. I do not know whether it will be possible for the remaining week to be visited and have the needed assessments.
Analysis of these quotations from the student teachers is an indication that the
supervision of student teachers during teaching practice was ineffective despite HEQC
audit report which urged lecturers at Unisa to improve students’ experience of teaching practice (HEQC, 2008). Again, these views reiterate a compromised quality assurance
issue raised in the HEQC report.
Theme 3: Effectiveness of teaching practice in improving student teachers’ teaching skills
Apart from the organization of the teaching practice, the researcher was also curious to know from the participants if teaching practice had improved their teaching skills.
According to Caires and Almeida (2005:112) teaching practice represents “a unique opportunity for the development and consolidation of a significant variety of knowledge
and skills” for the vast majority of student teachers. During the interviews, student
teacher B had this to say: No! In my opinion, teaching practice is not effective at all in improving our teaching skills. How can it be effective when we are not supervised and assessed the way it is recommended? In some instance we do not receive the required number of visits and assessments and there are occasions when some of us are not assessed the whole teaching practice period.
In the same vein, student teacher A remarked as follows: How can you expect effectiveness in teaching practice while the supervision and assessment is not up to the scratch? For example let me tell you something that you might not be aware of…when lectures or supervisors come assessments, most of them do not stay longer in the classroom throughout the lesson or until the lesson ends. Some stay only for only ten minutes whereas the lesson is forty minutes. How can you we be effective in that case, that’s impossible.
When these quotations are carefully analyzed, these injustices could be linked to the limited number of lectures or supervisors who are always in a rush to assess large
number of students within a short space of time, especially at this time when students’
enrolments rate has increased at Unisa.
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CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In true spirit, UNISA can produce good teachers through teaching practice. However, the quality of the program tends to deteriorate with the increasing numbers of students needing
placement in schools. As the student enrolment increases, some students are placed in schools with inadequate facilities. The former reduces the control of students placed in schools and
the latter reduces the relevancy of the program. Far from gaining valuable experience, students may be exposed to depressing conditions in schools which are hostile to the
principles and methods supported by the university teaching practice unit. Instead of reinforcing theory, the experience may make it appear irrelevant. In order to build positive
attitude of students towards teaching practice at UNISA, we propose the following:
Problems facing the teaching practice unit at UNISA include the placing of more
than 20 000 students at approved schools every year for teaching practice, the turn-around time in placing such a big number in approved schools, the shortage of
supervisors to support and evaluate student lessons, the lack of support strategies, and contracted supervisors who lack knowledge and skills to evaluate certain
critical learning areas, such as mathematics, science and technology. Another major
challenge relates to the slow pace at which the university is moving to integrate technology in addressing the problem.
Given the great number of students that have to be placed in schools every year, the
university should introduce an online placement system where students can place themselves by a click of a computer or a cell phone button. However, prior arrangements
should be sought with the affected schools to ensure that students are accommodated
without any difficulty. In addition, the affected ODL institution should enter into an agreement with the Department of Education to ensure that all the schools are loaded on
the system. In fact all relevant stakeholders should be consulted and participate towards the design of the software. Figure 1 serves as guideline on how the envisaged system
should be designed to alleviate the challenge relating to student placement at UNISA.
Log-in with the student number
Select Province
Select City / Town
Select type of school (Primary, Secondary, Foundation)
Name of School
Select supervisor
Date for assessment/Visit
Send confirmation by SMS to the Supervisor/Lecturer
Acceptance/Rejection by the Supervisor with a reason
Figure 1: Proposed Online Student Placement System
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There should be a teaching practice handbook for the students so that they can
follow a uniform method of preparing a lesson. Rules and regulations of practice
teaching should also be stipulated in this handbook.
In addition to the handbook, a “Teaching Practice Guidebook” is required. Such a guidebook will outline the procedures of teaching practice modules. It will
also deal with the following: how a school is chosen /allocated; introduction to
the school; allocation of subjects / learning areas in each level of school education in South Africa; and the involvement of mentor teachers. The visit by
UNISA supervisors should also be explained in detail so that student teachers will know what to expect and to do during the visit.
While some respondents indicated that the supervision and mentoring were
beneficial towards their training, others felt exploited and unsupported by the
mentors. The study therefore recommended that teacher training institutions should work hand in hand with the schools and organize workshops to
empower and support mentors. This would mean identifying the mentor teaches with the assistance of the schools – especially school management – to
ensure that the student teachers know from the start what is expected of them,
their full responsibilities and to what extent they can be assisted in becoming well qualified and quality teachers in South Africa.
Receiving schools should be encouraged to be positive about teaching practice.
Teaching practice should not be seen as an evaluation or assessment of whether one is a good teacher or not, but should be about the qualities,
passion, commitment and willingness to make a difference in people’s lives,
especially the learners and the communities around the schools.
Peer support should be encouraged during teaching practice. This means that teachers must be encouraged to work harmoniously with the students in giving
advice, general assistance and mentoring. This will possibly inspire the student
teachers as it eliminates the fear of the teaching practice environment by encouraging the culture of collegiality and togetherness. This will hopefully
improve the attitudes of the student teachers, based on their experiences of teaching practice.
BIODATA and CONTACT ADDRESSES of AUTHOR(S)
Dr. Sello MOKOENA is an Associate Professor in the Department of
Educational Leadership and Management at the University of South Africa (Unisa). In 2004, he received his PhD degree in education
management from Unisa. His research interests include: school effectiveness and improvement, school governance, education
management and leadership, online learning and, distance education. He has published extensively in both national and international
journals.
Prof. Dr. Sello MOKOENA Department of Educational Leadership and Management
1 Preller Street, University of South Africa
South Africa, 0003 Phone: +27124293111
E-mail: [email protected]
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